We compare the structure, activity and linkage of DNA binding domains from σ54 transcriptional activators, and discuss how the properties of the DNA binding domains and the linker to the neighboring domain are affected by the overall properties and requirements of the full proteins. These transcriptional activators bind upstream of specific promoters that utilize σ54-polymerase. Upon receiving a signal the activators assemble into hexamers, which then, through ATP hydrolysis, drive a conformational change in polymerase that enables transcription initiation. We present structures of the DNA-binding domains of activators NtrC1 and Nlh2 from the thermophile A. aeolicus. The structures of these domains, and their relationship to other sparts of the activators are discussed. These structures are compared with previously determined structures of the DNA-binding domains of NtrC4, NtrC, ZraR, and FIS. The N-terminal linkers that connect the DNA-binding domains to the central domains in NtrC1 and Nlh2 were studied and found to be unstructured. Additionally, a crystal structure of full-length NtrC1 was solved, but density for the DNA-binding domains was extremely weak, further indicating that the linker between ATPase and DNA binding domains functions as a flexible tether. Flexible linking of ATPase and DNA binding domains is likely necessary to allow assembly of the active hexameric ATPase ring. The comparison of this set of activators also shows clearly that strong dimerization of the DNA binding domain only occurs when other domains do not dimerize strongly.

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A fragment of the prion protein, PrP(89 -143, P101L), bearing a mutation implicated in familial prion disease, forms fibrils that have been shown to induce prion disease when injected intracerebrally into transgenic mice expressing full-length PrP containing the P101L mutation. In this study, we utilize amide hydrogen exchange measurements to probe the organization of the peptide in its fibrillar form. We determined the extent of hydrogen exchange first by tandem proteolysis, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry (HXMS) and then by exchange-quenched NMR. Although single amide resolution is afforded by NMR measurements, HXMS is well suited to the study of natural prions because it does not require labeling with NMR active isotopes. Thus, natural prions obtained from infected animals can be compared with model systems such as PrP(89 -143, P101L) studied here. In our study, we find two segments of sequence that display a high level of protection from exchange, residues 102-109 and 117-136. In addition, there is a region that displays exchange behavior consistent with the presence of a conformationally heterogeneous turn. We discuss our data with respect to several structural models proposed for infectious PrP aggregates and highlight HXMS as one of the few techniques well suited to studying natural prions.

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